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"The way the light reflects from the such intricate design of the Coral Reef Platter is exquisite"Jo Kilgour, Good Housekeeping

"The Collection is so stunning and vibrant"Harriet Compston, Country and Town House

"The Heart Vase is beautifully made and looks fantastic on its own or with roses!"Suzanne Carter, She

Daily Telegraph

“I always think before saying 'yes, we are doing very well'. But I am quite proud to say that we are doing well,” said Mrs Bobs. “The economic situation means that you have to work very, very smart when you look at your company and your products.”

This has led Svaja – derived from Mrs Bobs middle name and meaning “dream” in Lithuanian – to shift from its focus on department stores and galleries to other areas of business such as corporate and wedding gifts and working with more hotels and restaurants. Sales are up this year at John Lewis by 63% and among the hotels that are buying her accessories is the 190-bedroom Hyatt Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi. Mrs Bobs, said her exporting success to places such as Japan and the Middle East came from her ability to sell herself as well as the idea of high-quality European design. “I think at first you need to have personality and to build trust with clients and you then need to have the end product.”

She said the next year was full of promise for the company, which employs 11 people directly and buys in outsourced services from many others.

“I feel very confident because we have so many hot leads and openings. I don't see any problems at all. We will continue to introduce desirable products – our products are full of colour and optimism and that is what the world needs at this time.”

Kristina Bobs, who moved to Britain in 1993 to complete her chemistry studies from her native Lithuania, is another successful exporter. She has set up a blown glass and linen design business called Svaja that is now selling around the world.